Standing Up for Democracy—One Election at a Time
Last
week I wrote a post titled “Yes, the USA is a Democracy.” Surprisingly there is
a growing number of Americans who don’t believe that this is true. They claim
we are a republic, though they don’t define what that means. At least, not as a
contrast to democracy. So, I will continue to embrace the view that we in this
country have a representative democracy. Call it a republic if you want, but
it’s still a democracy because I have the right to vote, as does every citizen
of this country.
So, on Tuesday I exercised my right to vote for those whom I hope will represent me
in Lansing and Washington D.C. It was a primary, so the purpose was to select
representatives of the party to which I belong who will be on the ballot in
November. Perhaps 35-40% of citizens in Michigan did the same. Most of those I
voted for won their elections, though some, like my friend Padma Kuppa, ran
unopposed in this round. The next round will be more difficult, especially
since there is a growing number of people who embrace conspiracy theories (or
create them) suggesting that somehow our elections are fixed. Despite no
evidence of large-scale fraud, they question the electoral system. Perhaps as a
warning shot for November, here in Michigan, the person who came in fourth
place in the Republican Gubernatorial primary claims the election was fixed and
won’t concede. I should note that the person making this claim is under
indictment for participating in the January 6th riot. So, there are
significant warning signs to be aware of. The dark money that has poured into
our electoral process doesn’t help. In fact, it sours many to the process, but
we must plow through the manure of dark money and select good people who will
represent us well.
For
democracy to work, we have to trust each other, at least to a degree. As
Reinhold Niebuhr wrote years ago regarding democracy and a free society, for
this to work we need to have a degree of “confidence in the ability of men to
reach tentative and tolerable adjustments among their competing interests and
to arrive at some common notions of justice which transcend all partial
interests. A consistent pessimism in regard to man’s rational capacity for
justice invariable leads to absolutistic political theories; for they
prompt the conviction that only preponderant power can coerce the various
vitalities of a community into a working harmony.” [Children of Light,
Children of Darkness, in Reinhold Niebuhr: Theologian of Public Life, p.
254]. As I read that, I see in it a warning about the dangers of polarization
in our society, something that is happening. If it continues, we can easily get
sucked in by those who embrace “absolutistic political theories.” Democracy
requires listening and a lot of give-and-take to succeed.
Why democracy? Turning back to Niebuhr’s
reflection on democracy, he notes that “Man’s capacity for justice makes
democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy
necessary.” What of the alternative? He continues: “in all non-democratic
political theories the state or the ruler is invested with uncontrolled power
for the sake of achieving order and unity in the community.” [Reinhold Niebuhr, p. 254]. Niebuhr is
known for his realism, and we that present in that declaration. There is a need
for optimism about our potential to work together to achieve justice and the
common good, but we have to be aware of the challenges to that work.
It’s the
primary season. There are extremists in both parties, though right now the
extreme right offers more of a challenge to our democracy because many of the nominees
of the Republican Party have openly embraced conspiracy theories that if they
win in November pose a real challenge to the Presidential election of 2024. So,
let us choose democracy for the sake of all!
What is
the solution? Well, we need to say no to those who proffer conspiracy theories
that undermine our democracy. We also need to affirm that we are a democracy
and that every vote counts, which means making sure everyone can cast their
ballot without intimidation or harassment. My ultimate hope is that we can say
no to the extremes and move in a direction that truly provides for justice for
all. Yes, move toward the common good.
In the coming weeks, as we move toward November, I will reflect more on what it means to be a person of faith in a democracy, and the question of religious liberty. Regarding the latter, many who clamor for it, do not believe that religious liberty extends to everyone! In the meantime, let us prepare ourselves to stand up for democracy!
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- For more on my views of faith and the public square -- see my book Faith in the Public Square: Living Faithfully in the 21st Century (Energion).
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